


The Point of No Return

by LilacMist



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Gen, Modified Ending, dorothea is digging the murder thing, my brainworms.... they would not leave me alone, no beta we die like Glenn, not graphic enough for an m rating but uh they definitely do some killing, o to hear hubert von vestra sing about floating and falling in his sinister voice, platonic, premeditated murder, this is more of a fleshed-out prompt than a story...... alas, what if dorothea convinced hubert to perform with her in their paired ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 13:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23712163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacMist/pseuds/LilacMist
Summary: "Reviving Mittlefrank isn't big enough, Hubie. We'll need something huge. Massive. Maybe even... controversial?""You seem to have an idea in mind."Dorothea winked at him and crossed her arms confidently. "Censored works. The ones that the Church of Seiros banned.""Hubie, if we do this, I want you to perform with me."Doro&Hubie modified ending where they perform Phantom of the Opera together. Rope in some old friends. Murder.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault & Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	The Point of No Return

**Author's Note:**

> within the last week i have watched for the first time both the 2004 movie of the phantom of the opera as well as a recording of the 25th anniversary stage performance. there are def references to both of those, but you can read without knowing anything about them (probably).

"Just a little tighter, Connie," Dorothea instructs. "Perfect! That'll do it!"

Constance claps her hands together and flashes a characteristic grin. "Wonderful! You make a stunning pageboy!"

"And _you_ ," Dorothea taps her on the nose, "create the most breathtaking special effects! It has only been a few days, and our audience has grown exponentially!"

Constance laughs and twirls a curl of hair on her finger. "Well, I figured this stage was a perfect place to show off my magical research! Many key figures in the Empire attend performances here, after all."

Dorothea's face twists into a sinister grin for a split second, but then it vanishes, replaced with a genuine smile. "They do, Connie! They do." Her eyes flicker to the stage. Manuela is still belting out her part, so they have some time to kill. "Have you seen the playbill yet? It's comedy at its finest!"

"I didn't look that closely," Constance admits, and the two of them sit down to page through it. "No!" she gasps and points at one name in particular. "He _didn't!_ "

Dorothea laughs and nods. "Yes, he really did! Look! 'Phantom as _himself._ '"

"I know he likes to work in the shadows, but this is taking it to the extreme!"

Dorothea laughs again. "It's more mysterious this way, right? Come, now. You can't expect me to believe that you knew it was him up there the first time you saw the show from all the way out in the audience."

Constance shakes her head vigorously. "No, not at all! We never had choir practice together when we were at Garreg Mach, so I had no idea he could sing!"

"I like to think that part of it was my coaching," Dorothea says teasingly, sticking her tongue out. "After all, he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me!"

Now, Constance is sitting on the edge of her seat. "Do tell! I thought that only Her Majesty could force his hand! You can imagine my surprise to hear from you that Hubert von Vestra of all people was performing on stage!"

Dorothea raises a finger to her lips and shushes Constance. "That's our little secret, remember? But in exchange for keeping it, I can tell you how I did it. Let's see... Where to begin? I suppose it would have been when the war ended..."

***

"Dorothea. A question."

Dorothea didn't need to turn to know that the deep, hissing voice behind her was Hubert's. "Have you given thought to my proposal?" she asked, spinning around and playfully batting her eyelashes at him.

Hubert shook his head and sighed in return. "Yes, I have... _considered_ it, and in doing so, I put together a proposal of my own."

"Oh?" Now Dorothea was interested. "Hubie, I didn't take you to be the romantic sort!"

"I am not," he said. "This is not a marriage proposal."

Her face fell. "Oh."

"I wanted to know if you would be interested in reviving Mittlefrank."

Now, Dorothea was nothing short of confused. "Reviving Mittlefrank? I... I don't know! It's not something I've ever given thought to."

Hubert smirked. "Then give thought, and when you come to a decision, I would like your answer."

"You can't ask me without telling me why you want Mittlefrank back," Dorothea said.

His smirk faded. "Yes, I suppose you are correct. Alright. Do you recall our previous conversation?"

She nodded. "We were discussing ways I could walk beside you. Ways I could help you help Edie."

"Precisely. A grand return of Mittlefrank would help Lady Edelgard immensely."

"And how exactly does that correlate, Hubie?"

The smirk returned. "It will be a cover. Mittlefrank was nothing short of a city-wide spectacle when performing in Enbarr. With a performance that pervasive, it will be much harder to detect the Empire's spy network."

Dorothea finally smiled. "Gathering intel for Edie, huh? You are correct that the opera had a widespread influence. Many dealings went... under the radar. And having a former songstress return would do wonders for the popularity."

"So will you assist me?" Hubert asked.

She held up a finger and shook her head. "Reviving Mittlefrank isn't big enough, Hubie. We'll need something huge. Massive. Maybe even... controversial?" 

"You seem to have an idea in mind."

Dorothea winked at him and crossed her arms confidently. "Censored works. The ones that the Church of Seiros banned."

"I'm listening."

"If we can find a copy of a script in Abyss, or even bits of one, we could piece something together and perform it! Don't you think a previously outlawed play will draw in viewers?"

Hubert returned the confident gesture. "Even I would be interested in something the Church deemed unfit for the public eye."

"Then it's settled. I'll look through the library in Abyss. Maybe Lin or Yurikins knows about one. I'll get back to you once I've found something."

***

Dorothea slammed a thick stack of papers on Hubert's desk. "This is it! This is the show that's going to take Fódlan by storm!"

Hubert, initially startled by her sudden appearance, set down his pen and folded his hands. "I am listening."

"It's called _Phantom of the Opera._ It's a story about a prodigy singer's budding career and her mysterious teacher who has been living under the opera house for years."

Hubert nodded. "I have heard vague rumors of that one. I can see why the church banned it. It sounds far too close to what Abyss used to be."

"That's one reason, I'm sure." Dorothea admitted. "There's so much more, though. There's betrayal, murders, and a messy love triangle. It's sick and horrible, but it reels you in, from its dramatic group performances to its sensual duets."

"Sensual sounds like a perfect fit for you."

Dorothea took a deep breath and made her request. "Actually, Hubie, if we do this, I want you to perform with me."

Hubert did not move from his seat, but he visibly tensed. "I beg your pardon?!"

"We're doing this for Edie, right?" Dorothea asked. "Hubie, this part was written for you. A mysterious man working in the shadows? Sudden, unexpected murders? The deep desire to see one, and only one, succeed?" She narrowed her eyes and flipped through a few pages, pointing to a line of script. "He wears a mask for most of the performance, and even when his face is shown, it's marred beyond recognition. No one needs to know that it's you," she finished.

"Should I accept this outlandish proposal, are you suggesting that my involvement in the production be kept a secret?"

Dorothea's only response was a sinister grin.

He leaned forward and rested his chin on folded hands. "You would not ask me to something so ridiculous without a reason."

She flipped through a few more pages, pointing to another line in the play. "The Phantom carves a, would you say, 'bloody path.' What if you and I did the same, using the performance as cover?"

"Are you suggesting that these staged murders be just that? Murders?"

Dorothea shrugged. "I'm just putting it out there. A spy network is great and all, but I'm sure there will be a time we will have to deal with unsavory individuals. This will give you a chance to handle it yourself instead of passing it off to an underprepared lackey. The filth will come to us, and then we dispose of it. No one else has to know."

Hubert leaned back and laughed, really laughed. "Dorothea, I had greatly underestimated you."

"So will you do it?"

"How can I say no to a pitch like that?"

Dorothea clapped her hands and grinned. "Then we will need to spend a lot of time together. I will coach you in singing and acting beforehand so that when we start practicing together, you can be in character."

"A price I am willing to pay for this unrivaled opportunity."

***

"My, my! Look at you, Dorothea! You shine just as brightly as you did back in Mittlefrank's glory days!" Manuela praised, doting on her former pupil after she finished practicing one of her solos.

"As do you," Dorothea quickly agreed. "Thank you for helping me with this daunting project!"

"When you suggested that we could revive Mittlefrank by performing a formerly illegal piece, I was definitely skeptical, but I'm glad my worries were for nothing! I read through the script, and it's like it was written for us!"

Dorothea nodded eagerly. "That's what I thought! And I have to admit, I was just as skeptical when you suggested a newcomer to play the love interest. And it got worse when I found out who he was."

Manuela laughed in return. "He has a lovely voice! I gave him some coaching, of course, but he has been dreaming of this day since he was very small!"

"Indeed I have!" a new voice added as the man in question pranced onto stage with the songstresses.

Dorothea could only smile and shake her head. "You are one of the last people I expected to be working with, Ferdie."

"It is all thanks to Manuela! My own idol took the time to train me in the art of song and dance! It is truly a dream come true!"

"You'd better tone it down if you're planning on taking your role seriously," Dorothea lightly teased.

Ferdinand coughed and regained his composure. "I suppose you are correct. It is just very exciting to me!"

"Reign in that excitement and use it in your performance," Manuela guided. "Remember, Christine is your childhood friend with whom you fell madly in love."

Ferdinand adopted a no-nonsense expression and nodded. "Yes, right. Excitement only with lovely Christine." He slung an arm over Dorothea's shoulders, and she giggled.

"Just like that, Ferdie. You're a natural! No wonder Manuela spoke so highly of you!"

Before Ferdinand could respond to the praise, Manuela asked, "We're only missing one lead, right? You seemed even more confident about him than I was about Ferdinand."

Dorothea grinned and pointed up towards the rafters. Looming like a dark shadow, their Phantom, mask and all, stalked down the stairs and towards the trio.

"Well, he sure looks the part," Manuela said under her breath.

"I would hope so," he said. Ferdinand and Manuela jumped.

"HUBERT?!" Ferdinand could not help but yell.

Hubert groaned and slapped a gloved hand over Ferdinand's mouth. "Please keep quiet about this."

"It's part of the appeal," Dorothea explained. "We're keeping his identity as ambiguous as the Phantom in the play. Even among cast members. You two are the only ones who will know. The rest will be led to assume that we merely have a very eccentric actor playing the role. The mystery alone will bring in patrons from across the country."

Ferdinand elbowed Dorothea and whispered, "And you were worried about _my_ singing."

"I will have you know that Dorothea is an excellent teacher, which is ironic given the role I am playing," Hubert chuckled. "But you are correct. Technically speaking, you are a superior musician."

"I am only teasing," Ferdinand assured him. "I cannot wait to hear the fruits of your labor!"

"Then you've got to step aside, boys," Manuela gently pushed past the two men. "I sing first!"

***

Opening night was a smashing success. As Dorothea had predicted, the appeal of a banned play was widespread, and citizens traveled miles and miles across Fódlan to see Mittlefrank's new performance. They were entranced by Manuela's commanding presence, Dorothea's poignant elegance, newcomer Ferdinand's earnest honesty, and the cold mysteries surrounding the Phantom. When he did not show for the curtain call, Dorothea merely said, "He's here. The Phantom of the Opera."

"You are having way too much fun with this scheme," Hubert told Dorothea once the patrons and cast had left the opera house.

Dorothea closed her eyes and shrugged. "What can I say? You took to this role like a hand to a glove."

"Again, this is thanks to your coaching. I doubt I would have been... _appealing_ enough without your guidance."

Dorothea laughed so hard she snorted. "To think that women across Fódlan would be swooning over Hubert von Vestra of all people. That alone makes this whole project worth it. And," she tapped him on the nose, "you seem to be enjoying it as well."

"I refuse to comment," he said, running his hands through his hair to return it to its usual messy state.

"Fine, I won't make you." She put out the last light by the stage, leaving them in complete darkness. "We need more cover if we're going to use a real target."

"I agree. However, if I use magic, my involvement will be obvious."

Dorothea paced round and round, circle after circle, racking her brain for some other grand distraction. Something larger-than-life. Some _one_ larger than life. "Aha! Connie!"

"Von Nuvelle?"

"Yes! She's a master of all types of magic, both practical and impractical! I'm sure she could whip up some special effects that will blow the audience away!"

Hubert's uncovered eye practically glowed in the dark. "And while they are distracted by the hubbub, we strike."

"Exactly."

"You're quite the partner, Dorothea. Who knew you could be so... bloodthirsty?"

She shrugged. "I've been spending a lot of time with you, haven't I? We're painting Edie's bloody path together."

"That we are."

***

"And that's when we brought you on for special effects," Dorothea explains. She had left out the parts about the premeditated murders. Constance does not need to be bothered with that. The path she and Hubert walk together is their burden to bear. What the rest do not know will not hurt them.

"A spy ring... I would have never guessed!" Constance whispers excitedly. "I'll steal as much limelight as you need me to!"

"Glad we can count on you!" Dorothea says, looking towards the stage and jumping up. "Poor Fool! You ready?"

"Constance von Nuvelle is always ready!"

Dorothea runs out on stage to join Manuela, only glancing up to the rafters for a split second. Hubert is in position, and right beside him is their first victim. A sympathizer of the Church whose insurrections have caused injury and unease. What a spectacular way to go. Dorothea performs silently until Hubert's menacing voice echoes through the opera hall, and on cue, she dashes away. Constance waves her hands, and the air above the ballet dancers fills with flower petals and bright, twinkling lights. When the body falls from the rafters and the lights flicker out, the audience shrieks. Success.

***

The patrons see a sultry scene between the Phantom and Christine--the height of the tension between the characters. While they are distracted with Dorothea's clear voice and the Phantom's wandering hands, Hubert whispers the tales of their success into her ear. "It was comical how readily he took the bait," he explains from behind the black shroud. "Strangled, just like the script. You were correct when you said this work was written for us." 

Dorothea answers with her eyes as she continues to sing, grabbing his hands and pulling them against her body. _I told you._ is what her look says. 

"...There is no turning back, now," he says more solemnly. She nods and then leans her head back against his shoulder.

 _The point of no return,_ is what he knows she is thinking. He chuckles and nods before she pulls the hood off of his head, and they continue their spectacle show. He sings, voice turning from baleful to sorrowful, and Dorothea almost breaks character to smile. She clutches onto him as the trapdoor opens and they tumble below. "I promised to walk this path with you," she says as they scurry up the steps for the final scene. "And I meant it."

"I am glad," he whispers back. They emerge on the stage, lights shining towards the gallant Ferdinand, ready for his role to reclaim his lost love. It never gets easier for them to keep straight faces seeing their friend so wholly invested in his performance. Whether they are painting their roadways red with blood or merely laughing at the absurdity of the situation they put themselves in, Dorothea and Hubert stick together, determined to preserve the world that Edelgard forged.

**Author's Note:**

> hey thanks for reading my extremely self-indulgent rambling!! i think they would have fun performing together, and these roles were honest to goodness written for them. don't sleep on the dorohubie ending.
> 
> you may now imagine the entirety of the play except with hubert and dorothea and manuela and FERDIE doing a killer job acting. goodnight


End file.
